Any cheap ways to weld aluminum?

[tvanwho]

Just getting tired of paying out 70 bucks an hour to get my gold machine projects welded together!! I like to use aluminum to keep the weight down. Can my aluminum pieces be glued together somehow besides going to the expensive welding shop? I use bolts where I can and try to do as much cutting and bending before I go to the shop for welding.
Just wondering what my alternatives are?
I just got a cool Bosch handheld Sawzall type tool from Menards.Looks like the size of a D cell powered flashlight
and uses a Lithium ion battery about the size of the one Whites uses in the TDi. Has a quick blade connector so no need to fiddle around with a set screw.
Weighs maybe 2 pounds, slices right thru 1/8 inch thick aluminum tubing,lots easier than using a hacksaw.Cost was only 99 bucks and came with the battery and charger.

-Tom V.

 

[mudpuppy]

You can get those elbow and tee fittings for round aluminum tube, they have little set screws in them for tightening to the tube, they can be seen on some of those heavy frame tent/tarp kind of things...they are fast strong and easy...theres a product called Alumaweld that you sort of solder aluminum together with a propane or map gas torch....but I would not recommend it for a sturdy structure. If you want to keep things really light, just make a wooden frame on site for your sluice? A fellow can whip up some pretty decent structures with a machete, cordless drill, some deck screws and some zipties..I ziptie everything together to get it all adjusted right, then run the screws in. do you have any pictures of what you are needing done perhaps?

 

[tvanwho]

Sure does help to think overnite on problems !! I decided to get my new electric hacksaw in operation, my cordless drill, box of 3/16 x 1/2 inch aluminum rivets,and trusty Ace Hardware rivet gun.
Saved myself probably 50 bucks in welding using rivets instead for a new waterpump mounting plate on my dredge mod. Do they make flat aluminum right angle pieces? May have to use steel angles for now and more rivets on my sub frame until I can find a cheaper welder guy...

-Tom

 

[kahlesmilcon]

Yes there is a cheep way to weld Aluminum provided it is not to thick or to structural.

There is a product out there that comes in a stick form that you can in essence soder aluminum together . Its about 1/8" thick and 12-16" long.

The restoration industry pertaining to cars uses it to repair damaged aluminum cases, builds up ledges etc.
I have used it .

It takes a Map Gas hand held burner for solder pipe along with the rod . You just heat the aluminum hot enough to scratch melt the rod when the rod touches the surface and in essence solder the joint.


Check with your local welders supply, car restoration or go-ogle it with these words, Aluminum welding rod+ Gas torch.
It should get you there.
Ken

 

[tvanwho]

Thanks Ken, I will look into that for sure. In a way, the rivet method was good today as I made numerous mistakes which I failed to catch until my project was about done. Had to drill out the rivets and redo things like 3 times. If it had been all welded up, the project would have been scrap metal with those boo boos..thats what I get for designing and building things as I go...!!
I highly recomend this new Bosch mini Sawzall thing. 10 times easier than a hacksaw and only 2 pounds heavy,if that. Lasted about 20 minutes of heavy sawing of 1/8 inch thick aluminum on my 1st battery charge. Even saws straight, or at least straighter than I could with a hacksaw, especially on angle aluminum. Takes 1 hour to recharge.

-Tom

 

[Joe Z]

I believe Ken is talking about "Alumite" I bought a few rods back maybe 10 years ago to build up a broken ear on an alternator and it worked really good. great for say motorcycles cases, gear cases and much more....... you need to use Mapp gas and keep the rod out of the flame and heat the Aluminum metal part only and enter the rod like melting a crayon onto the hot surface, grind it, sand it and it is stronger than the original if done right. This link will tell you how to use the stuff.
Joe
http://www.kappalloy.com/alumite-solder.php

 

[au79]

Great thread! I've been wanting to put a flare on an old dredge sluice to use for hand feeding. Have to cut the back of the crash box out and then come up with aluminum for the flare. Alumite seems like a great novice remedy for this weld. Thanks ALL!

 

[Joe Z]

Here's a helpful video from youtube on how to weld using "alumiweld" (notice the slightly different name) from Alumite.... my old rods where called alumite)that he purchased from "Harbor Freight"
Joe





Sorry, I was asked to delete video since it has ads built in which violates forum rules. Looks like great stuff though!

Steve H

 

[rockpup1]

that alumiweld is amazing stuff.Seen some videos on it and its crazy good.I really want to get some for gold prospecting equipment.The KEY to welding or doing anything with aluminium is to clean everything very well.It allmost instantly oxiadizes so you would want to clean just prior to welding ect.

Ever consider Rivets-I used alumnium angle and rivets,to put a back plate on my highbanker thing.Stainless steel Rivets are very strong.We riveted lots of things on trailers in the plant I worked in.

 

[Joe Z]

Here's a helpful video from youtube on how to weld using "alumiweld" (notice the slightly different name) from Alumite.... my old rods where called alumite)that he purchased from "Harbor Freight"
Joe





Sorry, I was asked to delete video since it has ads built in which violates forum rules. Looks like great stuff though!

Steve H

That okay Steve....... Sorry as i didn't know it was against the rules...... It's a shame that most of these youtube video's have small ads now at the beginning.
I've been thinking about getting a "Longevity 140" wire feed welder with the optional spool gun for aluminum...... not cheap at $329 for the welder and $115 for the spool gun ....... all the links on youtube for this have ads.

 

[tvanwho]

Thanks for all the ideas guys. I used 3/16 x 1/2 inch aluminum rivets to put my engine/pump stand together for now. I would like to know what is the best waterproof glue I could use to insure things don't come apart under engine vibration? When I can find a cheap welding shop,I will get it all welded up.In the meantime....does waterproof marine epoxy /Gorilla glue ,bond well to aluminum? I seem to remember in my days of building radio control boats, that waterproof marine epoxy works well to start with, but tends to crack in time, at least when glueing metal propeller shafts to plastic model boat hulls.

-Tom

 

[tvanwho]

I was hesitant to post this as it shows the mess in my living room surrounding my 2 inch baby dredge rebuild project.
Too cold to do it in the garage tho? You can zoom in and see the aluminum engine stand I built and riveted together for now,get it welded later..
Kids snowboards under the foam float to help getting up and over rough rocky areas. Diamond plate under foam to protect it.
8 inch lawnmower wheels and sturdy aluminum handle to pull dredge to the water from my car.
Frame is adjustable, so I can slide motor mount about 18 inches of travel for center of gravity /sluice angle issues.Hopefully,
it won't vibrate apart? Honda WX15 , 70 gpm,self priming trash pump. Hopefully, mounted over the sluice box,
will keep the dredge from tipping and stay stable in the water, dunno yet? Keene 2 inch suction nozzle, waiting for new pressure hose
and metal quick connectors from Armadillo Mining.
Sears 18 inch long plastic toolbox along sluice and 1 gallon gas can holder mounted on other side of sluice.
What can I use to anchor the dredge in a creek? A bag filled with rocks perhaps and tied off to the dredge eyebolts?
Still need a rope handle to pull dredge thru the water yet? Aluminum handle is too tall for that. Note angled foam to cut thru water better.

-Tom

 

[Joe Z]

Thanks for all the ideas guys. I used 3/16 x 1/2 inch aluminum rivets to put my engine/pump stand together for now. I would like to know what is the best waterproof glue I could use to insure things don't come apart under engine vibration? When I can find a cheap welding shop,I will get it all welded up.In the meantime....does waterproof marine epoxy /Gorilla glue ,bond well to aluminum? I seem to remember in my days of building radio control boats, that waterproof marine epoxy works well to start with, but tends to crack in time, at least when glueing metal propeller shafts to plastic model boat hulls.

-Tom

I've worked with boats for a long time and the best stuff on the market in my opinion is the "3M 5200 Marine Adhesive" seven day curing time....... they have a twenty four hour curing time which is still good but that seven day stuff is forever and it remains pliable . You won't have to weld anything when you use that stuff.... I've used it on many underwater applications and never had a leak after properly cleaning it with alcohol or whatever as long as it's not petroleum based
Joe

 

[UtahSkyBum]

This is what we use in the sign industry when a weld or riveting is not ideal. (Lord Adhesive - 403 / 19)

Overview
http://www.lord.com/products-and-solutions/adhesives/product.xml/5
Technical Data
http://www.ambercomposites.com/downloads/datasheet/lord-403---406--410-with-19-19gb-march-06.pdf

It's not cheap, and it has a six month shelf life but my god that stuff works well. There have been a couple of times when we had to peel an aluminum skin from a steel frame using a bridge crane, Not sure we could have managed it otherwise (tensile strength at break 4650 PSI). .090 or 1/8 aluminum to aluminum right angle seams are also excellent. The epoxy is generally hard and stable after a 10 -12 minute cure time and full cure @ 24 hours. Many of our applications are subject to occasional water exposure and I have never seen any problems, but I cannot vouch for it's performance in a constant presence of water. The downsides here are that it requires a proprietary dispenser and mixing nozzles. You would probably need to have several projects in mind to justify the extra $70 and the cartriges are not cheap (around $30 for the industrial and 12 for the mini if I remember correctly).

Still, worth a look if you are interested in an industrial grade epoxy for aluminum "welding", not a lot of people are aware of the product, maybe this will help someone.

On another note, I hope to have my very first detector here by the end of next week (a shiny new GMT) and can't wait to start exploring southern Utah / AZ / NV (with or without addition of gold).